Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.

Top 10 tips for celebrating the Fourth of July

If Memorial Day has quickly come and gone and the hot weather has caught you by surprise, here are some suggestions to help you celebrate America’s most patriotic holiday:

1. Making plans at the last minute? Seattle’s fireworks over Lake Union will start at 10:15 p.m. on the Fourth. See The Seattle Times’ “Fourth of July Events 2013” for a listing of events around Puget Sound.

4. Wondering whether pools are safer for swimming than lakes? During the last three years over the week of July 4th, an average of 26 children drowned in pools and spas, according to USA Swimming. Water safety tips include: Teach your children how to swim, put a fence around the pool, and designate a Water Watcher – an adult who knows how to swim to watch the children in and around the water at all times. Go to “A Call to Action: Parents and Children Need to ‘Pool Safely’ in Pools and Spas Over the July 4th Holiday” for more information.

Note: This is a seattlepi.com reader blog. It is not written or edited by the P-I. The authors are solely responsible for content. E-mail us at newmedia@seattlepi.com if you consider a post inappropriate.